Lotus Temple of Delhi

The House of Worship of Bahai, most popular as the Lotus temple, is a magnificent structure located in New Delhi, the capital city of India. It is a notable place of reverence that reverberates the novelty, simplicity and freshness of the Bahai faiths and beliefs but at the same time paying equal love and respect to all other religions . The magnificent structure is designed and build up in way that focuses in signaling all the divine forces of the nature in a single aura that provides for the calm and much needed state of solitude to its million of devotees.

Constructed in the year 1986, by then architects the entire edifice has imbibed in it the traditional form of architecture garnished with staggeringly beautiful imitation of a simple flower. Lotus holds immense importance in the Indian culture and traditions. It is a wonder how brilliant minds of olden times decided to undertake a project so challenging. With limited amount of resources and comparatively obsolete resources what stands today is nothing but a commendable piece of art of wonderment.

Talking about its architecture, the lotus temple reaches a crescendo of 40 meters in height comprising of gigantic petals, pooling in the center from 9 different pools, signifying the 9 coalescing spiritual paths of the faith of Bahai’s. In the interiors the temple comprises of a main worship house, a few additional blocks, a reception, library, restrooms and an administrative building.

Drilling a bit more inside how these different parts of the structure are build up, let’s begin with the posterior part of the dome made up with 3 pairs of petals. These are the concave, thin, concrete casing known as the “entrance leaves”. The nine petals merge at the top, though providing a legitimate gaping in between which is filled up with glass panels so as to provide for natural light into the central hall beneath it. This particular feature accounts for both a judicious use and the added “wow” factor of the building, flaunting the brilliant ideas of their makers. Along its side are a few zig zag steel bars that give the upper structure with enough strength to hold up.

Second to this comes the base of the leaves which is supported over 9 circular rings, heading up in an increasing fashion. Staircases arising from these arches leads one into the middle hall. Walking inside it, one would observe that the pattern of the building is such that each covering of above shells disappear behind one another as one moves forward.Capable of accommodating 2500 people in a go, the lotus temple is a giant temple having enough room for everyone.

Build up with white marble, stainless steels and glass panels, this is one of the best piece of art of olden times, that has stood the test of time till today. Totality in a working state, still going strong the structure remains one of the major attraction of North India till this date. Many tourists visit it annually to witness its peculiarity.